Typically, hot water heaters heat water through the use of either electricity or natural gas. The hot water heater provides a thermostat wherein the temperature of the water within the hot water heater is maintained at a predetermined temperature established by the thermostat. When the water within the hot water heater reaches a temperature below the predetermined temperature set by the thermostat, the hot water heater begins to heat the water within the hot water heater until the water reaches the predetermined set temperature.
The reheating of the water within the hot water heater is inherently an inefficient process because the water within the hot water heater is maintained at a predetermined temperature even when the water within the hot water heater is not ready to be used. This situation has continued in the industry because most consumers do not know at what point they will or will not need hot water. In addition, consumers are typically not willing to wait the necessary length of time for a hot water heater to heat a full tank of cold water. Thus, many consumers are willing to live with the inefficient process of a hot water heater in order to have hot water on demand.
However, there are times in which a consumer does know in advance that they will not need hot water. For instance, vacations, work schedules, nighttime and other events allow consumers to know that they will not be needing hot water during those time periods. Therefore, it would be a more efficient process if the hot water heater was turned off during those periods in which hot water was not required.
It would be desirable to provide a programmable hot water heater that would allow for the turning on and off of a water heater based on a consumer's demand schedule.